NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort
(This is a very very beta version)
NGC4397
Basic Information
Location and Magnitude
Right Ascension: 12:25:58.2
Declination: +18:18:6
Constellation: COM
Visual Magnitude:
Historic Information
Discoverer: Tempel
Year of discovery: 1877
Discovery aperture: 11.0
Observational
Summary description: vF, S, II 55 sp
Sub-type: *3
Corwin's Notes
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NGC 4397 is an asterism of three stars, located where Tempel saw it, "... 5
seconds following, 6 arcminutes north of II 55 [N4394]." I had earlier called
this an asterism of four stars, but I now (April 2015) see only three on the
DSS1, DSS2, and SDSS images. (The SDSS actually shows a fourth, but it is an
extremely faint red star, perhaps seen just above the plate limit of the
DSS2R. It certainly would not figure in Tempel's object.)
Another apparent asterism exists another three arcmin to the north -- but only
on the POSS1 red plate and, therefore, on the DSS. It looked real enough to
fool me, but Malcolm caught it. My thanks to him for letting me know about my
mistake.